{Wool Unit} part one

{Beautiful rainbow yarn from Kattikloo on etsy}

I have been working on pulling together a little unit study on wool for a while now...I'm *SO*EXCITED* to finally be working on it with the little learners! I have a basket full of books, several exciting projects to introduce to them, and a wonderful field trip planned for the end of the month...I thought I would share our progress each week along with my book lists in case it might be helpful to some other mama in the future. This was a short week full of busyiness as we start to find our school rhythm. It's the first week of school of many over the next...million years so I don't mind that it was a slow, light week. We'll get there...wherever "there" is. 

This week we started with my very favorite book...in the world.

~ "Weaving the Rainbow" by George Ella Lyon is just so very lovely, and is a lovely view of the process of wool...from lamb to loom. 

~ "Pelle's New Suit" by Elsa Beskow is a sweet book about a boy who raises a lamb and then exchanges jobs to get it processed into his new suit...the illustrations are of course absolutely charming.

~ "The Goat in the Rug" by Charles L. Blood is another process book (you'll notice a theme *wink*) about a Navajo woman who goes from her goat, Geraldine, to woven rug. 

~ "Spring Fleece" by Catherine Paladino is a great book about shearing day...I like the simple photographs in this one!

~ "A Symphony for the Sheep" by Cynthia Millen is a beautiful story of sheep in Ireland, told from the points of view of the shearers, the spinners, the weavers, and the knitters.

Our crafting this week was simple, Bobby started his first finger knitting and seems to like it in very small bursts. I'm encouraging him, but not pushing it too much. Jenny has mastered finger crocheting and I think we're going to play with finger knitting before we start her on actual knitting...but honestly I'm more excited about teaching her that so if she isn't too interested I'll just move onto needles. I do like the way that finger knitting helps to really see how knitting works...it takes the some of the confusing mystery out of the learning process I think. I plan on sharing more of our unit each week so be sure to check back!